Imperial council awards grants to 16 businesses

IMPERIAL – The City Council here on Wednesday awarded 16 local businesses funding through its Small Business Assistance Economic Stability Grant Program.

A total of 19 businesses applied for the program, which uses CARES Act funding received through the State of California Department of Finance to assist businesses severely impacted by COVID-19.

City Council allocated up to $ 78,605 to the program and awarded micro-grants up to $5,000. Due to limited funding availability, priority was given to those businesses who demonstrated the most need and fell into Stages 3 and 4 of the state’s recently replaced Resilience Roadmap plan.

The council awarded grants to these businesses:

• 90’s Barber Studio

• Ahumada’s Outlet

• Bella Salon Threads

• Classic Clippers Barber Shop

• Derma’s Floor Covering

• Details Salon & Total Body Spa

• El Zarape Restaurant

• Freedom Junk Removal Service

• Happy Kids Family Child Care

• Humble Farmer Brewing Company, Inc.

• IV Hiit

• Jill Deens Barber Shop

• Lineage Barbershop

• Melissa Michaels Spa, Salon & Makeup Studio, Inc.

• Nana’s Kitchen

• Restoration: A Hair & Beauty Workshop On Aug. 5, the City Council allotted $200,000 of the $245,822 in CARES Act monies Imperial reportedly was awarded to assist small businesses. However, to date, the city has only received $ 81,932 of the funding.

The city said in a release it doesn’t know whether it will receive the remaining $ 163,890.

“We wanted to help as many businesses as we could with what funds we had,” City Manager Dennis Morita said. “It is our hope that the state will not withhold our funding, so we can continue to assist those of our business community with additional resources.”